.jpg "The outstanding Iranian tar player Hossein Alizadeh tunes his instrument for an improvisational performance at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall On June 24, 2012. (Mehr/Mohammadreza Abbasi)")
TEHRAN -- Iran’s House of Music has commissioned an expert team to probe the registration of the Iranian art of craftsmanship and tar playing on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity for the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Members of the team have been selected from the Scholars Center of the House of Music, chairman of House of Music board of directors Mohammad Sarir told the Persian service of ISNA on Tuesday.
“This is an international issue, which should not be discussed without in-depth research,” he added.
The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage inscribed the art of craftsmanship and performance of tar, a long-necked stringed instrument, from the Republic of Azerbaijan during its 7th session at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris last week.
Many Iranian cultural organizations have censured the UNESCO decision to inscribe an Iranian instrument for Azerbaijan on its list. They have also lamented the negligence of Iranian cultural officials.
“There are many historical documents proving that tar belongs to Iran,” House of Music Managing Director Hamidreza Nurbakhsh told the Persian service of MNA on Tuesday.
“The documents will soon be published,” added Nurbakhsh, who is a prominent singer of Iranian traditional music.
MMS/YAW
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